Accept what you cannot change,
Change what you cannot accept, and have the wisdom to know the difference. Yes, I'm back there ....:)
Most of us seem to interpret this
as 'acceptance' of what’s on the outside, typically acceptance of our own
situations or of other people around us, which is what it also stands for
surely, but I think a far more fundamental space is acceptance of oneself. That
is a much larger challenge.
To know and to accept oneself
When I was in college, a favourite uncle
took me to meet a friend of his, one Mr.
Unni Krishnan, who he said was like a munni or a seer, and he said I’d have
five minutes to ask him questions. Under that kind of time pressure, I instead
asked him to tell me what I needed to know, and he said…… I’ll tell you the three
most important things in life; be aware, be aware and be aware.
Today, I understand the
significance of what he said. That is the key principle behind acceptance of
oneself. To accept, you first need to
know, and the way to know is to be aware and alert at all times. And then we slowly
become aware of what our real nature is, what really keeps us happy, keeps us
in sync and in peace, and mostly in positive space.
By force of habit, we are always
identified with the various roles we play through life; child, sibling, friend,
lover, spouse, parent, employer, employee and then we’re conditioned to believe
that everything we do is right, as long as it’s towards proper fulfillment of
the role.
Through this process we firstly, become
dependent on another for our happiness and more significantly, we’re living
roles rather than life.
Let’s look at what it means to
live life, as it’s only by being true to oneself, can one really be true to any
other.
Let’s look at what it means to live life, as it’s only by being true to oneself, can one really be true to any other.
ReplyDeleteTruth is the mirror
Shows what it reflects
Choice is ours to Stand
In front or behind.
thanks.
LIFE IS FULL OF CHALLENGES. TAKE ON EACH ONE AS IT COMES. OUR OFFICIAL MOTTO IN SCHOOL WAS "NEVER GIVE IN ". AND AS I SAID, ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR HEART. IT WILL LEAD YOU TO YOUR DESTINATION, EVEN IF YOU DO NOT KNOW THE WAY.
ReplyDeleteLOTS OF LOVE - UNCLE MOHAN
LIFE IS FULL OF CHALLENGES. TAKE ON EACH ONE AS IT COMES. OUR OFFICIAL MOTTO IN SCHOOL WAS "NEVER GIVE IN ". AND AS I SAID, ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR HEART. IT WILL LEAD YOU TO YOUR DESTINATION, EVEN IF YOU DO NOT KNOW THE WAY.
ReplyDeleteLOTS OF LOVE - UNCLE MOHAN
Uncle, so wonderful to see you here, and now everyone knows who this favorite uncle of mine is too :) and yes, I love the follow your heart bit....thanks
ReplyDeleteGirija, that's at one go the most simply and the most intensely put.... it's the most fundamental choice you'll make I guess......
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written. Love it!!
ReplyDeleteFollowing my heart is all I did all my life. But what in your attempt to change what you can't accept hurt your close ones. One can say, if they love you they will accept it. But what if the whole process itself brings so much sadness that you start building guilt and the cause for which you are fighting looks smaller in front of your guilt and sadness? Should you accept what you can't change? If yes, then isn't that a compromised life too?
Annapurna, so glad you liked it. I think the key here is clarity. It’s a choice; and typically if you’re doing what makes you happy and are positive, the people who love you will be happy for you, and then there’s no place for guilt and sadness. This is what I’ve actually seen happen. But we’ll talk more about this.
ReplyDelete